Garages of this kind for parking a number of vehicles are known. In one such case (German Patent No. 900,008) each platform has at the end remote from the drive-in area a fixed rocking linkage, whilst the ends adjacent the drive-in area are connected together by a linkage. When both platforms are lowered the user can drive on to the upper platform whilst the lower platform is made accessible by lifting both platforms.
The arrangement for tilting the two platforms in this known garage is accompanied by the disadvantage that the upper platform has a very severe inclination when it is in the drive-on condition, whilst the lower platform declines steeply when it is available to be driven on to. In both cases, the inclination is so great as to involve difficulties with some vehicles, namely that during upward travel either the front or the rear parts of the vehicle strike the ground or the platform, and in the case of a downward inclination, that is to say in the case of the drive-in position on the lower platform, there is the danger of collision between the parts of the vehicle between the axles and the beginning of the platform or the end of the drive-in. The danger of collision increases the shorter the platforms.
Other suggestions are known (German Specification No. 1,684,753) in which by special movement of the two platforms towards one another the inclination can be kept smaller, within certain limits, than in the case of the garage first described above. Even with this other garage however the upper platform has an upward inclination in its drive-on status, and the lower platform in this status a declivity, which is very substantial in both cases.
Garages of the kind described above are principally used where space is at a premium. Specifically garages of this type having two platforms are arranged in underground garages of tall buildings with the object of disposing of a double tally of vehicles for the same surface area. This however frequently involves the problem that, because of the restricted space available the downwardly inclined drive-in ends right on the parking places, that is to say that the drive-on to the platforms does not take place from a level vehicle standing area but from an area which actually has a downward inclination. Thus there are difficulties in driving on to the upper platforms of these known constructions, and in some instances they wholly become impossible.
The object of the present invention is to provide for such purposes a garage which not only complies with the access requirements of such garages, but caters for the minimum of space utilisation for the individual parking places. A further object is to provide an arrangement of this nature which allows for the use of simple individual constructional parts which are readily accessible for inspection and which can be fabricated at minimum expense.
The invention provides a garage of the kind set forth above which comprises means for raising and lowering the platforms in unison and tilting them in unison, and the arrangement whereby the lower platform is inclined downwardly away from the entrance when the drive-on end is in register with this entrance and the platforms are substantially horizontal when the upper platform is in register with said entrance.
Having regard to the fact that in this arrangement the upper platform has no significant upward inclination in its drive-on status, access can be had by the driver without any difficulty to a parking space with a maximum drop.